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Our first underwater adventure film "Tofua’a" - explores the potential of non-verbal communication in the depths of the South Pacific with freediver and marine biologist Lucas Handley.

A special encounter.

When a 16 metre-long, 36-tonne humpback whale turns around to take a closer look at you, time suddenly seems to stand still. No further thought goes through your brain. Anyone who has encountered these gentle giants in the huge swathes of stillness in the Pacific Ocean will feel a lot like a child on the playground, reluctant to be parted from his/her new friends.

Language is not a barrier.

In Tonga, it is not just the sensational backdrops that make the heart beat stronger, but also the chance of coming across one of these singing underwater acrobats. Thanks to the 1963 ban on whale-hunting, their numbers have recovered around the world from the time when they were facing extinction. About five hours' flying time from Sydney lies Vava’u, an archipelago of 40 small islands and one large island, all with crystal-clear water and sandy beaches, and with an atmosphere of peace in the natural harbour of Neiafu. The mild climate, abrupt changes of weather occasioning dramatic cloud formations, high cliffs and mysterious underwater caves all reinforce the genuine "Treasure Island" feel of the place. These are not car-friendly conditions: little wild pigs hog the sandy, often untarred roads and many rusting car wrecks are scattered along the edges, but our C-Class takes it all in its stride. Life here is unsophisticated - and, quite simply, a pleasure.

Beneath the surface.

The locals wave to us on the streets. They are a sincere and proud people: No one is pestered by hawkers here, or coerced into doing something they don't want. Tonga is the only state in the Pacific never to have completely lost its independence; and it remains the only monarchy in the region. The local kids are clearly fascinated by our kit and are keen to be photographed. A real-life example of how language barriers and cultural differences only get in the way of mutual understanding if we allow them to. However, we are here to achieve communication of a different art and nature: underwater, with the giant humpback whales.To help us in our endeavours - and to capture it all on film - we are assisted on this adventure by the award-winning cameraman Jon Shaw, the professional freediver and marine biologist Lucas Handley and the cameraman Scott Last.

Tofua’a, incidentally, is the local word for whale - a fitting title for our film. Humpback whales only spend the summers feeding in Arctic waters; thereafter they migrate to tropical zones to mate. This is also where the whale calves are born in the winter, with the mother feeding them from their fat reserves. The whale season ends around the beginning of October on Vava’u, however; and we are cutting it a bit fine. The atmosphere on our first trip out on the boat in the morning is accordingly tense, as no one wants to miss out on seeing these amazing creatures - or miss out on that unique opportunity of being the one to shout out those famous words: "Whale ahoy!".

The underwater interpreter.

Marine animals are Lucas Handleys' bread and butter. The "underwater hunter" is a marine biologist and experienced freediver who has had adventures on all the seven seas. After a childhood spent in Australia's Byron Bay, he now shuttles between the Solomon Islands and the countless different filming locations. He knows the ocean like the back of his hand, and already has a surprisingly large store of underwater tales to draw on for his age. He also has a range of other useful talents - as a skilled spear fisher he can rustle up the next meal in less than 60 seconds if required. Lucas dives with sharks a lot and knows how to conduct himself around them - even if they're minded to attack. They often follow him underwater, trying to take his prey off him. But whales are different, as Lucas reveals in the film: you are unlikely to motivate them with bait, as they are used to fasting for half a year at a time and don't expect to get tasty food off us. We are keen to see how the whales will react to Lucas here.

Acrobats of the ocean.

Humpback whales come across on the surface as decidedly acrobatic: they break through the surface of the water, waggle their flukes and smack down on the water with their pectoral fins. One particularly active - somewhat cocky – calf surprises us with multiple sightings. For a good thirty minutes, it seems to be really enjoying itself and even checks from time to time that we are still paying suitable attention to it.

Then we have the magical experience of watching a calf, so shy at first, yet unable to resist its own sense of curiosity any more and peeping out from behind its mother for the first time. After a cautious trip to the surface, a diligent intake of air and a swift look around, it then swims directly towards Lucas – and the two mimic each other's movements, one after the other. And again, when three whales allow Lucas into their midst but then seem unable to make out this curious human guest with staying power, who can also dive so much deeper than any other they've experienced. In the end they decide to ignore him.

On our last day just before sundown and a long way offshore, a larger calf with striking black and white markings is daring enough to swim directly up to the camera, presenting us with the perfect shot before returning to its mother. Suddenly, both mother and calf swim up to me as a pair - and I try to achieve the impossible: take a picture of these two giants on my tiny iPhone. When, shortly after, they disappear into the depths of the ocean for good, I am left with one sensation and one thought: it's going to be incredibly difficult to top that.